The King Who Died For You

Introduction

Have you ever tried to pay your way out of a problem?

In China apparently, really wealthy people can avoid prison by hiring body doubles. I know, right? Sounds like science fiction, but it’s true! Slate.com originally broke the story of how the super-rich in China get away with pretty much everything, including murder.

According to the story, a wealthy 20-year-old named Hu was drag racing his friends, when he struck and killed a pedestrian. He was sentenced to three years in prison, but apparently the guy who appeared in court and was serving that three-year sentence wasn’t Hu at all, but a hired body double!

In another case, the owner of a demolition company that illegally demolished a home hired a guy who kind of looked like him, promised him $31 for each day he spent in jail. apparently, in China, the practice is so common that there is even a name for it: “substitute criminal.”

Now, that’s crazy, right? Evil, scandalous, unjust for sure. But 2000 years ago, Someone became our substitute and took the punishment we deserve. He took the penalty of all our sins in his own body on the cross. Rich people using their wealth to avoid punishment, that’s not justice. But the death of Jesus was different. Jesus willingly went to the cross, so you and I can be forgiven.

That’s the gospel. That’s the good news that brings us here every Sunday, that motivates our obedience, that frees us from our sin, so that we can walk with and know God.

And that’s what I want to dig into today as we look together at Luke chapter 23. This is our second to last message in this King Jesus series that we’ve been in for several weeks now, and it’s our second to last message in the Gospel of Luke, this book of the Bible that we’ve been studying together for a couple of years now.

This week, we’re going to have to do something similar to what we did last week, which is to summarize a lot of the events of this chapter, simply because there’s so much here, 56 verses in all. But I want us to understand that, next to the resurrection, what Luke records here really is the most important event in all the Bible, in all of human history.

In the Big Story of the Bible, this story that was inspired by the Holy Spirit, written by dozens of human writers, generations of people over thousands of years, composed in multiple literary genres, this is the event that everything else points to. Again and again, we see hints and foreshadowing, sometimes even direct prophecies, that point to this moment in history when Jesus Christ, God in the Flesh, is crucified.

So, the question I want us to consider this morning is, “What does that mean?” What is Luke the Physician trying to show us in this detailed account of the trial, crucifixion, and death of Jesus? What does he want us to see here?

Let’s take a look. Here’s what’s happening. The corrupt religious leaders bring Jesus to the local governor, Pilate, and they immediately start making stuff up. They accuse Him of “misleading our nation,” “forbidding them to pay taxes to Caesar,” which, as we’ve seen, is a straight up lie. We’ve already seen where Jesus answered their entrapment by telling the people to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” The only truthful thing they say is that Jesus claimed to be Messiah, the King of the Kingdom of God.

Pilate sees through their false accusations and tells them so, but they insist, accusing Jesus of stirring up the people all the way from Galilee. Pilate’s like, “Wait, He’s from Galilee? Herod is the ruler over Galilee. Let him deal with this guy.”

Herod was in Jerusalem for Passover, so he was just up the road. Pick up in verse 8:

Luke 23:8–11 NASB 2020

Now Herod was overjoyed when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length; but He offered him no answer at all. Now the chief priests and the scribes stood there, vehemently charging Him. And Herod, together with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, dressing Him in a brightly shining robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

Pilate again pronounces Jesus innocent. In verse 14, he tells them, “I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges…and neither did Herod!”

Three times, Pilate declared Jesus innocent, but the people kept pushing, getting louder, calling for the release of Barabbas, who was the kind of revolutionary that they wanted Jesus to be. Verse 20:

Luke 23:20–25 NASB 2020

But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this man done wrong? I have found in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And so Pilate decided to have their demand carried out. And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will.

So, Jesus is falsely accused, declared innocent three times, yet still sentenced to die. Barabbas, a known criminal, is released in His place. And that brings us to the first fact that I want us to remember about Jesus, the substitute for your sin:

Jesus was condemned so you could be set free.

He wasn’t condemned because He was guilty. Again, Luke makes it clear. Jesus was guilty of nothing. Barabbas shows us the purpose of Jesus’ death. Barabbas is us. The guilty goes free while the innocent suffers in our place.

Brother and sister, we are the guilty ones, every one of us. That’s what makes us different. We don’t look down at a broken and dying world with judgment. If not for Jesus, we would be just as broken and dying as everyone else.

But because Jesus has set us free, now we can live like we’re free. Jesus didn’t die for you to stay chained in guilt or shame. Brother, sister, are you living in the freedom He died to give?

Pick up in verse 26. We read this section earlier. A guy named Simon is grabbed and forced to carry the cross of Jesus, since He is too broken and beaten to do it Himself. There’s a crowd following Him, many of them mocking him, but several women who were mourning and grieving for Him. Even in His misery, Jesus shows His compassion, warning them of days to come.

They crucify Him with 2 criminals at a place called “The Skull.” Jesus, on the cross, prays for their forgiveness. Don’t miss that. Jesus prays for the forgiveness of the people nailing Him to a cross to die. I know Christians who can’t find it in themselves to forgive a dude who badmouths them on social media, but Jesus forgives the people who killed Him WHILE they’re killing Him.

In verses 35 and 36, the arrogant religious rulers along with the soldiers continue to scoff and mock Jesus as He hangs on the cross. One of the soldiers, mocking both Jesus and the Jews, puts a sign above Him on the cross, “This is the King of the Jews.”

And then there’s that image that we reference so often of the two thieves on the cross by Jesus, one of the them joining in all the mockery but the other defending Him. Look again at verse 40:

Luke 23:40–43 NASB 2020

But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

That’s all it took. “Jesus, remember me.” “TODAY, you will join me in Paradise.” And that brings us to the second fact I want us to remember about the crucifixion, this central event in all of human history. Jesus was condemned so you could be set free, and second…

Jesus carried the cross so you could carry hope.

Again, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” Simon is a visual image for all of us to take up our crosses and follow Jesus. That’s what it is to follow Jesus. It’s not just praying a prayer and going about life as it was. It’s denying ourselves, turning from our sin, and going after Him. Another word for that is “repentance.”

Simon didn’t follow Jesus by choice, but there’s evidence that something about him changed that day, because Mark tells us that he was the father of two men that were apparently well known to the church. I don’t know what you’re carrying today, what burden you enduring, but have you ever considered that, whatever it is, it’s bringing you closer to Jesus?

As long as there is breath in our lungs, there is hope—even in your worst moment. The thief on one side of Jesus cursed, but the other thief confessed and was saved. No one is too far gone for grace.

Look at verse 44:

Luke 23:44–49 NASB 2020

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the entire land until the ninth hour, because the sun stopped shining; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” And having said this, He died. Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “This man was in fact innocent.” And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, after watching what had happened, began to return home, beating their chests. And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

It was about noon, and Luke tells us that it got completely dark until about 3:00 in the afternoon. The big, heavy veil that separated the Holy Place in the Temple from the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom according to Matthew, and in verse 46, Jesus speaks His last words recorded by Luke, quoting Psalm chapter 31, verse 5 “Into your hands I entrust my Spirit.”

And that brings us to something else, another fact about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus was condemned so you could be set free. Jesus carried the cross so you could carry hope, and third…

Jesus died so you could truly live.

A lot of things Luke wants us to see here. The veil of the temple being torn is huge. Exodus chapter 26 describes the veil. It’s purpose was the set apart the holiness of God, shielding the people from the powerful and dangerous presence of God. Once a year, the High Priest would pass beyond that curtain to offer a sacrifice for the people, and he would do it with fear and trembling, a rope tied around his ankle in case for some reason he was deemed unworthy to approach the holiness of God and killed. That way the other priest could drag his body out of the Holy of Holies, away from God’s presence without endangering themselves.

But now the curtain is torn. Now, there is no barrier to the presence of God, because today the knowledge of God is available to everyone who receives it. As the author of Hebrews says…

Hebrews 6:19 NASB 2020

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil,

So, there’s the tearing of temple veil, and then there’s the fact that Jesus willingly laid down His life. “I commend my spirit.” Jesus willingly laid down His life so you and I could find hope.

And then there’s the belief of the centurion, who Luke tells us, “saw what happened, began praising God, saying ‘This man was in fact innocent.’”

What does all that mean? Let His death lead you to worship. It’s so easy to take all this for granted, to demote the events of the cross to an annual spring celebration. The centurion watched it all and believed. Do you stand at the foot of the cross with awe—or indifference?

And then draw near to God with confidence. The torn veil means access. Are you still living like there’s a barrier between you and God? That barrier is gone. If you feel far from God, it’s not God who’s moved. God is close, so close. Jesus laid down His life to give you that access.

Pick up in verse 50:

Luke 23:50–56 NASB 2020

And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God— this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. It was a preparation day, and a Sabbath was about to begin. Now the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was laid. And then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

John’s gospel tell us that Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, had been a disciple of Jesus, but had follow Jesus secretly, because he was afraid of the Jewish leadership of the day. Luke tells us here that, though he was a member of the Council that conspired to kill Jesus, he had not consented to their plan.

Joseph pushed past the religious norms to care for the body of Jesus. Entering the home of a gentile to ask for the body and then touching the body, taking it off the cross, would have made him unclean, unable to celebrate the Passover with His family.

The women, full of grief, full of love, keep serving Jesus even when it seems hopeless, even in death. Remember, they didn’t know that Sunday was coming. It’s like the guy who was reading the Bible for the first time. Posted online, “I can’t believe they killed off the main character!” The next day he posted, “Oh wait; He’s back.”

Jesus wasn’t back yet. At this point, they could only assume that they’d lost, that was all for nothing. But they kept serving Him, because they loved Him.

And that brings us to one final fact about the sacrificial death of Jesus this morning. Jesus was condemned so you could be set free, carried the cross so you could carry hope, died so you could truly live, and fourth…

Jesus was buried so you could be made new.

You’ve heard me. I say it every time I baptize a new believer. “Buried with Jesus in baptism; raised to walk in a brand new life.”

That’s what Jesus was doing. When He was buried, He was burying our sin with Him. All over this passage, we see these beautiful acts of obedience and love that reflect what this brand new life is about. The women, they didn’t get it. They didn’t understand everything, but they still obeyed and waited.

How do you respond when God seems quiet? Could it be that God is not silent, but is using this thing that you’re going through for your own sanctification, to make you more like Him, to make you new? Sometimes that’s what this “brand new life” is, it’s putting our heads down and being faithful, patiently waiting to see how the Lord will work it out for our good and His glory.

Joseph risked his reputation to honor Jesus. What are you willing to risk out of your love for Jesus? That’s another aspect of this “brand new life.” It means going public, owning your faith in a public way.. That means to talk about what Jesus has done in your life, but don’t just talk about it. Live it. Show people through the way you live, the decisions that you make, the way you treat people, show them the difference that Jesus Christ has made in you.

So, what about it? Are you ready to go public? Maybe you’ve been keeping your faith quiet, not being real about who you are when you’re away from here. In light of everything that Jesus endured for you, the public humiliation He endured for you, don’t you think it’s time to go public for Him.

Make a commitment today to try to get a word in, maybe something as simple as when someone asks how you’re doing, you say “God has been very good to me.” Maybe you could go public this week by just simply inviting someone to church next week on Easter. God is at work in our world today, and most people are happy to at least consider going to church on Easter. Why not invite them to come here?

This is such a heavy passage. Thinking about all that Jesus did for us can be overwhelming, but the main thing I want you to see is that the cross is not just a historical event. It’s not just a tragic miscarriage of justice that happened 2000 years ago. No, the cross is a personal invitation. Jesus did all these things for you.

He was condemned—so you could be forgiven. He carried the cross—so you could carry hope. He died—so you could truly live. He was buried—so you could be new.

Wouldn’t you like to be new today? See, all this that Jesus did, it’s not automatically applied. God is not going to force Himself on you like, but the beauty of the gospel is that, if you, like that thief on the cross, turn from you sin and believe, Jesus will forgive you today.

This morning, we want to give you an opportunity to do that…